Why Magic Should Not Be Confused With Witchcraft - 1402 Words

In the 21st century what do people think of when they hear the word magic? Is it Harry Potter and his friends fighting off Lord Voldemort or perhaps as Black Sabbath sings â€Å"witches at Black Masses?† It is probably a bit of both depending on your age and religious beliefs. This was not the case during the time period extending from antiquity to the early modern period. People in this time believed that magic could explain things they did not understand or could not explain. It was not for entertainment. â€Å"Magic probably claimed to provide all the answers which were later provided by science, technology, and philosophy: it was everything.† This statement stands true for all three periods this paper focuses on even the early modern period when religion was supposed to have taken place of magical beliefs. Magic should not be confused with witchcraft. People believed that you could perform magic without being or needing a witch. In antiquity, people believed that magic was between religion and superstition. â€Å"In a sense, magic, understood as a kind of science, has always tried to locate the secret forces in nature, especially their sympathies and antipathies and use them for specific purposes.† Ancient Greeks and Romans practiced or believed in many forms of magic but the magical ideal that lasted the longest and is seen throughout all three time periods is the ideal of malefic, the use of magic to do evil or harm. Medea is a prime example of this type of magic. She uses herShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Magic School Of Witchcraft By J.k. Rowling1728 Words   |  7 Pagescharacters go to board the train. The students would run through a mystical wall with their parents to the magic side to board the train on Platform 9  ¾ with their trolleys . On the platform in the station the children would say good bye to their parents and board the train to Hogwarts which was one of the settings in the book. Another main set ting that J.K. Rowling picked is the magical school of witchcraft and wizardry which is Hogwarts where the main characters go to school and is often mentioned in theRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials For Women With English Puritan Backgrounds1843 Words   |  8 Pageshallucinations. The year also consisted of swimming tests and prayer tests for women with English Puritan backgrounds. The Salem witch trials occurred in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 300 people were accused of practicing witchcraft (the Devil s magic). 20 woman were executed. Before all of this happened, life in Salem was like any normal day. Women and children had expectations as well as men did, you did not disobey God nor go against him, or act out of character. Life in the 1690’sRead MoreThe Elizabethan Era in England Essay1588 Words   |  7 PagesChanging View). Magic was considered to be very similar to science in this era. 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The animal rights movement is a social movement which seeks an end to theRead MoreJ.K Rowling: A Life of Challanges and Success2089 Words   |  9 PagesSorcerers Stone. The hero of the books, Harry Potter was a seemingly normal kid who found out that he was a wizard on his eleventh birthday. He receives training to become a wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The books are a constant struggle between good and evil. Harry uses the magic he learns, to protect his friends and defeat his enemies. One of the things J.K Rowling and her hero have in common is that their lives haven’t always been so magical. Both have experienced death, disappointmentRead MoreShakespeares Use of the Superna tural in Macbeth Essay example5126 Words   |  21 Pages Also during this time there were many more occurrences when witches and heretics were burnt at the stake than at any period in history, because people believed they manufactured plagues, pestilence and famine through their black magic. When Shakespeare was writing the play, he wanted to impress the king and interest his audience on his stage, the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare did this by including the supernatural in his play. Both king and populous have alwaysRead MoreThe Adventures Of Tom Sawyer2307 Words   |  10 PagesTom as they pass the kitchen and, confused as to the origin of the disturbance, sets himself down unwittingly between Tom and Huckleberry waiting until he hears the noise again. When he falls asleep Tom and Huckleberry first retrieve some candles from the kitchen, leaving a nickel as payment, and then Tom playfully hangs Jim’s hat on a branch, before he and Huckleberry make their escape. Huckleberry mentions that Jim interprets this prank as a sign of witchcraft, and then describes how Jim createsRead MoreWitches Role in Macbeth2482 Words   |  10 PagesMost people in Shakespeare time believed in the powers of witches, and witchcraft became the object of morbid and fevered fascination. Between 1560 and 1605 hundreds of people (mainly women) were convicted as witches and executed. Witches were credited with diabolical powers. They could predict the future, bring on night in d aytime, cause fogs and tempests and kill animals. They cursed animals with fatal wasting disease and could raise evil spirits by concocting a horrible brew with nauseating ingredientsRead MoreHero Myth Film Analysis3528 Words   |  15 Pagesintrigued with the idea of heroism which is why many movies, books, and stories are written after this very idea. In Linda Seger’s â€Å"Creating the Myth†, she argues there are 10-points into creating every â€Å"hero myth†, using Luke Skywalker in Star Wars as her hero myth example; in the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry follows Seger’s 10-point system of creating a â€Å"Hero Myth† very closely. Seger’s first point to creating a hero myth is that the hero should be introduced in â€Å"ordinary surroundingRead MoreSocial Cultural Reality Theory in Action2545 Words   |  11 Pagesstrength from God to help where we should. This may mean dropping off some fish to help a family, or spending time on the phone to guide a friend in hardship. We are taught that laying down your life for another is the fruit of real love. Essay Social amp; Cultural reality theory in action Melissa Peters Bachelor of Arts Student, Open Polytechnic Introduction How is it we know when to laugh, cry or shout? Or when it would be rude or inappropriate to do so? Why is it we value integrity, honesty